SCHOOLS will want to mark the Queen Mother's funeral next Tuesday and many will make special arrangements to enable pupils to watch the event on television, headteachers said.

While it may prove inappropriate for three- and four-year-olds who may not be able to understand fully what is going on and have difficulty concentrating throughout, schools will respond "imag-inatively" to Downing Street's call for them to participate, said David Hart, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers.

John Dunford, general secretary of the Secondary Heads Association, said schools would want to offer children the opportunity to watch if they could.

However, it could be a "bit of a logistical nightmare" for large comprehensives with 1,000 or more pupils to gather all of them around television sets once the funeral begins at

11.30am, said Mr Hart.

As well as watching the funeral on television, primaries and secondaries may hold special assemblies to commemorate her life, and build it into lessons, for example in history or general studies, he added.

The NAHT has a membership of about 30,000 heads and deputies, many of them working in primary schools.

Mr Hart said: "I would have thought that the vast majority of schools would want to respond positively to 10 Downing Street's wishes.

"It will vary enormously - there can be no one pattern. The age of children might make it difficult as you can't expect infants to concentrate for long periods of time.

"For very big schools, it could be a bit of a logistical nightmare to sort out. My guess, though is that individual schools will want to do something to mark the day of the funeral."

Lessons reflecting the Queen Mother's life and the contribution she made to the nation's life were likely to take place in many schools.

"It would be very difficult to expect large schools to have all their students sitting in front of the television," added Mr Hart.

He doubted whether schools would prevent some pupils taking exams this summer from joining in.

"I don't think preparation for exams is an issue. I wouldn't have thought that losing a small portion of one single day would make any difference at all."

Asked whether some heads would resist the call to mark the occasion, Mr Hart replied: "Heads may have their own individual views but I think they won't respond from their personal positions.

"They will have regard to the feelings of their governing bodies, parents and the community that they serve."

Mr Dunford said, "Schools will decide for themselves and I think where they have got the facilities to do that they will do it.